1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a measuring system and, more specifically, to a measuring system for measuring a three-dimensional shape of an object.
2. Description of the Related Art
Use of light-section method for measuring a three-dimensional shape of an object has been proposed. Light-section method is based on projection of slit shaped light on a surface of an object, and photographing the light reflected therefrom by using an area sensor, as shown in FIG. 56 (details will be described later). A spatial coordinate of a point p of the object corresponding to one point q of the photographed image is calculated as the coordinate of an intersection point of a plane S formed by the slit shaped light and a line connecting the point q and the center O of the taking lens. Since the spatial coordinate of each point of the object surface irradiated by the slit shaped light can be calculated by using one slit shaped light, information of three-dimensional shape of the object as a whole can be obtained by repeating image input while scanning the object with the slit shaped light moved in a direction vertical to the longitudinal direction of the slit.
However, in the above described apparatus, control of the slit shaped light, relation between arrangement of the area sensor and the slit shaped light, measurement output, patch up of a plurality of input images and so on are not sufficiently considered.
An object of the present invention is to provide a measuring system in which specific considerations of control of the slit shaped light, relation between the arrangement of the area sensor and the slit shaped light, measurement output, patch up of a plurality of input images and so on are sufficiently made.
One of the above described object is attained by the measuring system of the present invention including a light projector which projects a slit shaped light toward an object, and an area sensor which receives light including the slit shaped light reflected on the object, the area sensor outputting signals from only a particular area including the reflected slit shaped light.
In the measuring system structured as described above, signals are output only from a particular area, and therefore compared with a system in which entire area of the area sensor is read, image can be read in a considerably short period of time.